adams



y 1956 s. w. ADAMS BELT-SUPPORTED PISTOL HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1954 SUMNER W. ADAMS INVENTOR.

May 1, 1956 s. w. ADAMS BELT-SUPPORTED PISTOL HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1954 SUMNER W. ADAMS INVENTOR.

United States Patent BELT-SUPPORTED rrsror. HOLDER SumnerW. Adams, Visalia, Calif., assignor to Allen A. Sanborn, Porterville, Calif.

Application May 18, 1954, Serial No. 430,510

' 2 Claims. c1. 224-3 .This present invention relates generally to the art of holsters for revolvers and pistols, and more particularly to the type of holster which is intended for attachment to, and to be chiefly supported from, a waist belt. This present holster has many of the characteristics of the holster shown in my U. 8. Patent No. 2,577,869. It does, however, vary in certain details of structure which add immeasurably to the ease of manufacture, to a longer useful life, and permit a much more convenient use of the holster.

Present day conditions have indicated the increasing need for a holster to be used witheither a revolver or an automatic pistol which will admit of having the same so mounted that it is reasonably concealed with an outer garment, and at the same time have it so arranged as to admit of a fast draw. Despite the diverse stringent legislation among the various States relative to the use and carrying of hand guns, the recent war has clearly demonstrated the need of the hand gun and particularly one that can be kept largely concealed, but which can be drawn with safety, and quickly, during periods requiring its use. For the military personnel, the presentday infiltration tactics employed in modern warfare have dispensed to a large degree with the fixed front line. Consequently the scene of combat has increased greatly in depth on the battle front and it now becomes incumbent upon the individual to be his own personal protector. This problem is greatly increased by the infiltration tactics and the ease with which an enemy may masquerade as of friendly population so that he gains close proximity to combat forces. When it is demonstrated he is truly an enemy,,it is then forced upon each person to take over his own personal protection, and this must be done very quickly. These conditions have created a new technique for the use of hand guns and this present holster is ideally constituted to assist in solving this current problem. Another group that has need for an improved fast draw holster is the various law-enforce ment agencies, many of whom, if they are to serve their purposes, dress in plain clothes. However even the uniformed enforcement officer is always faced with the public necessity of not using his firearms until all other means have failed, and then when the need becomes apparent, he must be able to go into action quickly. It therefore appears apparent that there is a great need for an improved present day holster of the type permitting concealment and a quickdraw. It is to solve these problems of persons who in all propriety carry hand guns that I have provided this improved form of holster.

The principal object of this present invention is to provide a combat holster for hand guns which will insure the accurate and positive positioning of a hand gun so that it may be drawn quickly for use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a quick draw holster for hand guns which can be easily applied to, or removed from, a service belt without regard to the number of loops of appendages which may already be in place on the belt.

attaching means in the open position, thus adapting it for easy attachment to a service belt;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the attachment flap in its using position but with the keeper not yet in position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the preferably metal stape or D-ring assembly which is adapted to be secured to the holster proper;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view, partly in section, illustrating an improved manner of finishing the upper portion of the holster and showing the the arm latch member in its using position;

Figure 6 is a perspective view cut by a longitudinal section illustrating the manner in which the latch member is constructed;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, illustrating the pistol-securing means, and to further illustrate how the attachment means can be effectively employed therewith;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, illustrating the resilient means which is used in association with the retaining latch illustrated in Figures 5 and 6; and

Figure 9 is an illustrative view showing the manner in which this present holster is preferably employed by its user.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the holster body is formed preferably of a single piece of firm but yieldable material. In the past the better grades of leather have been extensively used. However, with the present high development in plastic materials, many of these inexpensive materials may be successfully used. The holster proper 10 is formed by molding a piece of yieldable sheet material back upon itself to form the two skirt portions 12 and 14. These portions are held in their desired position principally by molding, cementing and stitching at 16, 18, 26 and 28. These stitched portions are of limited expanse due to the fact that in a quick draw holster of this order it v is desirable that the gun removing side be largely open so as to not impede the movement of the gun and does not require that the same be raised upwardly appreciably in order to clear the holster. Following these principles it has been found desirable to employ a gun-retaining spring 20 which is formed to easily engage the firearm in the general vicinity of its balance which normally is just slightly in front of the trigger, or as illustrated in Figure 9, below the trigger toward the muzzle of the gun. Spring 20 must of course be adequately covered with protective sheet material as leather or the plastic material used in the holster, and to secure the spring firmly in position, a peripheral stitching 24 is provided. The covered sheath 22 is illustrated in Figure 7 as being folded back to better illustrate the spring structure. It is shown further in its position of use in Figure 9, and it is held in place by marginal stitching as 26, 28.

In Figures 5 and 6 is illustrated a form of gun-securing latch which has been found to be a major improvement over the form shown in my former patent referred to previously. In this construction, a preferably plastic 3. moided member-30is' employed. This gives the required smash the upper portion of theholster and provides spaced openings 34 m the upper margin thereof so that the time member itself is securely held in position; and possily more important, is the factthat member 30 gives required stilfncss to'the upperportion of the holster, in an economical manner, which insures its permanently retaining its desirable form.

I with the resilient spring structure 36, I in Figure 8, after thesame principles em played in my former application, latch 32 engaging my the hammer of the pistol in a manner to hold i m the gun tipping out of the open side of the holster. Torelease the gun from latch 32, the gun is mlswnwardly compressing spring 36 and thus freeitlg fie gun for easy drawing.

The carrying of a pistol by the using personnel placesv await their belts around their waists that has always Mable: This. is particularly true when the gun is of some weight, as it must be in order to provide safe handling of a cartridge of adequate power. I! Qirefbre beoomesincreasingly desirable that the user dfleflrea'rm can easily remove the same from his belt, holster lmd alL'as even the holster is inconvenient and rem normally with one when he is seated; Then Mme-holster provides a case in effect for the protectionat weapon when it is desirable that it be removed from tie ch ll thetime the gun is-nolonger needed. Military we and "law enforcement officers usually find it my to have a number of items secured to their service belts. For the military, they may take the form dim. aid packet, extra magazines, or extra ammunicnd possibly encompass other impedimenta of that m. For the law enforcement officer, they usuallyentail a handcufi case, the extra ammunition, usually a mi orits. equivalent, and quite often a first aid wk; was allthis equipment secured to the belt it then becomes increasingly ditficult to unthread anything Fig: I, which shows the side of the holster worn file body, the holster securihg flap-40is provided:

'Hifi-fllpnormally is shapedafter the illustrations so it forms ineffect a channel member, which should fllfrflflcn do'sdy, thebelt onwhich it is used: The flap irked? neared-as by gluing and/or stitching at: 42 so tlet'flie upper margin of the damp is' at all times a partthe-holster. At its lower margin; flap 40-is pierced with a phnnlity of elongated openings 44. These opens are of a form t'ocoact with D-rings or staples 46 lm may be individually aflixed tothe holster body- More preferably fixedly secured aspart of plate Q, which plate in turn is attached, as by rivets 50, or Mac fixedly seemed, to the body of the holster.

Themnnnerin which this attachment means is employed ism to be well illustrated throughout the various when the pistol is located on the belt after medhwing ofl 'igurei the flap 40 is engagedzover'staples n illustratedin Figure 3, and then the'l'eather thong I! member 52, which ispreferably secured to the as" b cement and rivets and stitching '4; -is-passed w the plurality of staples 46- outside of flap 40 is most convenient to provide the end of the keeper with a pointed port-ion as 56- pref-erably treated with a stifielh ing compound and to further provide an enlarged portion 58 in keeper 52 so that it willform a stop, after the showing of Figure l. 60 so that when it is desired to remove the holster, the fingers can be engaged in loop 60 and a convenient releasing means is thus provided. The tip of the leather thongkeeper is' then inserteriltoz 'the: leftof the; last staple in back of the thong and pulled down after the showing of Figure 1, thus locking the thong andkecping the tip of the thong behind the holster.

It is believed. it will be clearly. apparent. item the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention conn'arehends a novel construction of a belt-supported pistol holster.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

I. The improvement in a pistol holster to be worn on abelt, comprising: a holster housing having on' its body abutting face a flap fixedly secured to the housing' at the upper margin of the flap, said flap having. near its lower edge a plurality of juxtaposed, spaced-apart slots and a metal plate riveted to said housing at the leveloi saidslots having a plurality'ojf D-rings formed thereon in position to be inserted; insaid' slots, athong-like keeper member securedat" one end tosaid-fiap and having its other-end portion tapered and treated with a stiffeningagent and of a size so that itmay be threaded through said D-rings--when they are positioned in said slots to secure the-flap in place and said keeper member havingan enlarged intermediary portion. limiting the extent of the keeper member-which can be inserted insaid D-rings so that a loop remains between the D-rings and the secured end of the' keeper-member engageable by the fingers'for withdrawal of the keeper member to unfasten the'fi'ap, and said flap having a channel-like shape vertically intermediate-its-upper' and lo weredgcs of a size toaccommodateabutting face a flap finedly secured to-the housing at theupper margin of the'fiap', sa-id fiap having near its lower edgeand spaced from said upper margin sufficient distance to contain such belt therebetwcen' a: plurality of juxtaposed; spaced-apart slots and a metal plate secured to said housing at the" level ofsaid slotshaving a plurality of D-rings formed thereon in position to be inserted in said slots, a thong-like keeper member secured at one end to said-flap and having its other'end portiontl'n'eadable through said D-rin'gs when they are positionedin said slotsto'secure'to the fiapin place and said keeper member havingan enlarged intermediary portion limiting the extent" of the keeper member which can be inserted in said D-rings sothat a loop remains between the D'-rings and the secured end'of the-keeper member engageable'by References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS 1,148,935 Snavely Aug. 3,, 191-5 2,049,293, Fink.-- July 2 8, 19:36- 2,577,869 Adams Dec. 11, 19st FOREIGN PATENTS 214,065 Switzerland June. 1-6; 1941;

This arrangement will thus furnish a loop Great Britain c. 1912 

